


Opheliac

by rattydarling



Category: Sweeney Todd (2007), Sweeney Todd (2007) RPF, Sweeney Todd - Sondheim/Wheeler
Genre: Angst, F/M, Gothic, Helena Bonham Carter - Freeform, Romance, Sweenett, Victorian, johnny depp - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:34:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28253973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rattydarling/pseuds/rattydarling
Summary: Things don't go according to plan the night Anthony leaves Johanna in the temporary care of Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett. When the sailor fails to return, their malevolent enterprise gets put on hold. How will Sweeney Todd manage to get his revenge, all while harboring his daughter? And will Mrs. Lovett get him to notice her at last? Rating may change depending on future chapters. Slow burn Sweenett. Posting regularly on https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13769505/1/Opheliac
Relationships: Johanna Barker/Anthony Hope, Nellie Lovett & Sweeney Todd, Nellie Lovett/Sweeney Todd
Kudos: 10





	1. According To Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I suddenly found myself inspired after almost a decade without writing fanfiction. I decided to have fun with this, rather than let myself get too hung up on every little detail. That being said, do not expect complete historical accuracy. I intend to do my best to keep Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett in character as much as I possibly can, however, this being a "fan" fic, it obviously leaves room for fan interpretation. The characters and their likeness in this particular story are based on the 2007 movie directed by Tim Burton, which I do not own.
> 
> "Opheliac" is a noun meaning "one who has delved into madness", in reference to Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet. The source of this word comes from Emilie Autumn's album, along with a song sharing the title name.

Opheliac

Chapter I

"According to Plan"

186 Fleet Street London, England 1846

Mrs. Lovett was as cunning as she was clever. Despite that, she was almost as delirious and twisted as her male counterpart, Sweeney Todd. The two of them were a deadly pair, each fueling the other's fires, feeding into both of their darkest desires - his pining need for revenge, and her desperate longing to be loved.

The widowed baker had spent a great deal of the last few years completely and utterly alone. As friendly as she was, she didn't have much for friends, what little family she had was dearly departed, and she spent the majority of her days puttering around her empty shop and living quarters, waiting for time to go by. By the time the man formerly known as Benjamin Barker showed up at her doorstep, the dark-haired stranger completely mesmerized her. He was like a wounded animal in need of her help, and almost instantly, he became her very own dark knight in shining armor.

She remembered him from the old days. Benjamin Barker was warm and kind, nothing like the cold and sorrowful man that stood before her now. The difference was as vast as night and day. There was something about this man, however, something hopelessly tragic that she was drawn to. He knew what it was like to be locked out of sight all these years, just like her. It was under an entirely different set of circumstances, of course. She was just a poor, childless widow, while he was a hardened fugitive that was ripped away from his family on a false charge.

Considering his reaction to the news of all that conspired after he was shipped away to Australia, Mrs. Lovett couldn't bear telling him that his beloved wife, his Lucy, was still alive. She knew that if she revealed Lucy's true fate, he would go in search of her, or at least, what was left of her. After all, she figured he had already been through enough for one lifetime and it was probably best to preserve the memories he had of his wife. The poison turned the once radiant Lucy Barker into a common beggar woman. She became nothing more than a deranged shell of what she once was, left to wander the festering streets of London. As time went on, Mrs. Lovett began to suffer the consequences of leaving out that one vital piece of information. Little did she know that the husk of Lucy Barker lingering around her shop would only be the beginning of her troubles.

Despite her almost complete lack of moral sense, Mrs. Lovett was indeed quite nurturing at heart. In fact, one of her biggest faults was that she was desperate for companionship, love, and acceptance - something of which she never truly experienced. She thought that by standing by his side and aiding him in his revenge, she could get him to return her affections and the two could live, really live, at last.

Although they were neighbors, Mrs. Lovett and Lucy never became more than acquaintances as they seldom interacted. Mrs. Lovett, being the nosey neighbor that she was, figured out very quickly exactly what happened to the Barker family upstairs. She heard Lucy and Johanna's cries through their thin walls and felt sympathetic towards her. She had hoped that the two might be able to bond over her tragedy and become friends, but unfortunately, the woman attempted suicide and ended up in Bedlam not long after. Mrs. Lovett took care of her child, Johanna, for a short time before Judge Turpin came for her. And then, just like that, she was alone once again.

Mrs. Lovett reflected on her most recent outing with Toby and Mr. Todd, which was a simple picnic in the park. She managed to convince him to go as a way to celebrate their newfound success and get some "fresh air". Much to her delight, it ended up being a fairly decent day and when she went on about her plans for their future, Mr. Todd did not protest. Then again, he didn't necessarily acknowledge them either and Mrs. Lovett was known for being terribly optimistic.

Sweeney Todd was by no means a stupid man. He was, however, blinded by his insatiable need for revenge. He was not oblivious to his accomplice's affections for him, as she made them incredibly well known, and he used it to his advantage. She made it clear from the moment she took him back up to his abandoned shop and reintroduced him to his razors, his friends, the one thing that tied him to his life as Benjamin Barker.

Contradicting his belief that everyone deserved to die, he still spared some of his customers. Men with families, men that were polite and not too unyielding. It was further proof that he still had morals somewhere. But, the part of him that was still human was slipping further and further away. He was at war with himself, the part of him that was settled deep into the pits of his despair, and then the angry, vengeful side of him that was bursting at the seams. He was delving into madness, but luckily Mrs. Lovett had a way of keeping him from bubbling over the surface.

Benjamin Barker died so Sweeney Todd could live. He crawled from the very depths of hell and made it back to the place he once called home, only to discover that all that waited for him was a lonely baker, seven pieces of silver, and best of all, those responsible for destroying his family. He walked among them once again, right below their noses, mocking them with his existence alone. He stayed alive out of spite, living solely to dedicate his life to his oath: revenge.

_All good things come to those who can wait…_

Mrs. Lovett's advice often repeated itself over and over again in Mr. Todd's mind. He supposed he could listen to her, after all, she had been right in not letting him slit the Beadle's throat the moment he laid eyes on him at St. Dunstan's market. That would have been disastrous and he would have been shipped right back to Australia. The baker also proved herself to be quite the accomplice after coming up with the brilliant, eminently practical plan for them to cover up his crimes all while making a profit. Though he didn't typically pay much attention to her ramblings, she was, admittedly, the only thing keeping him from slipping off the edge. So, yes, he supposed he _should_ listen to her after all...

Since his return, he lived each day like a ghost just going through the motions. He didn't plan for anything beyond his revenge, as he only knew of pain and torment and had little memory of what it felt to feel anything else. Though, somehow, perhaps through her relentless prying and devotion, his neighbor made him feel hopeful for the first time in fifteen years.

As the days went on, however, the barber grew increasingly restless. His need for revenge became an obsession that consumed every corner of his mind. Years of pent up rage and bitterness made itself known with every slice of another man's throat. Unfortunately, the high he got from killing started lasting less and less. He needed relief. He needed the judge.

In time, this need grew, and with it, his temper and the frequency of his outbursts that Mrs. Lovett was almost always at the receiving end of. There were moments when she was fearful of him, afraid that they had gone too far until she saw the excitable glint in his eye as he waltzed her about her pie shop, completely enamored by her brilliant plan.

Mrs. Lovett ignited the fire that had been burning within him that day. She knew it was a dangerous game, encouraging such a dreadful monster to come out and play. But, it was also to her gain. Business was booming, and as far as she was concerned, the only thing that stood between her and her happy ending was Judge Turpin and his foul, rat-faced counterpart, Beadle Bamford.

Over time, it became harder to keep the beast within him tamed. She managed to preoccupy him for a while now, covering up his crimes while he "practiced" on the throats of his unfortunate customers. It was grueling work, not a job for just anyone, and you certainly needed the stomach for it. Thankfully, years of breathing in London's toxic fumes and being no stranger to death helped dull her senses. Not to mention her desperate need to please the murderous barber completely overshadowed any feelings of regret or remorse she might have had. She convinced herself that this was payback to all of those stuck-up members of society that never gave her a passing glance. She managed to detach herself from the horrific, gut-wrenching work, and over time, dismembering bodies became just another chore to check off her list. In her own way, _this_ was her revenge.

Their plan was simple. Anthony would disguise himself as a wig-maker's apprentice and free Johanna from Fogg's asylum. He instructed the sailor to leave Johanna downstairs with Mrs. Lovett while he went to make arrangements for their departure, claiming that she would be more comfortable down there. When in truth, Mr. Todd figured it best to avoid seeing his estranged daughter altogether. He considered Mrs. Lovett's remark about Anthony's throat being "the one to slit", especially given his irritating tendency to burst in unannounced. However, he quickly concluded that Johanna would be better off never knowing him and he couldn't bring himself to harm the young sailor, considering he saved him from being lost at sea. He owed him his life and knew that Johanna would be much safer with him, far away from here.

Unbeknownst to Anthony, the barber had another plan up his sleeve. Mr. Todd gave Toby very strict and urgent orders to deliver a letter to Judge Turpin, explaining that he convinced the sailor to bring Johanna back to him, in order to win his favor. If everything went according to plan, by the time the judge arrived, Johanna would be long gone, and Sweeney Todd would have his revenge at last.

"Mr. Todd!"

Mr. Todd turned his head in the direction of the doorway and got up from his chair, "I thought I told you to leave her with my neighbor," he said irritably, feeling caught completely off-guard.

"There wasn't an answer at the door, sir, and I didn't see her down there, so I thought I'd bring her up here. I hope you don't mind."

"Well, I very much do mind." He made it a point not to look in the girl's direction and spoke as if she wasn't even there.

"Mr. Todd, please. We haven't much time."

Without waiting for the barber to answer, Anthony turned to Johanna, "I'll be right back to you. Half an hour and we'll be free." He squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring look before running out the door, leaving Johanna and Mr. Todd alone.

Johanna stood awkwardly by the doorway. She appeared only mildly frightened, but not as much as you'd expect from a girl that just escaped from the madhouse. She was disguised in boy's clothing and her features, including her long, yellow hair, were hidden beneath the hat she was wearing.

"I am sorry to be of a nuisance, sir," she said in a timid voice, "thank you for helping me, Mr. Todd. Anthony speaks very highly of you."

He nodded in response, focusing his attention out the window. The less he had to interact with her, the better.

He heard hurried footsteps coming up the stairs and then suddenly Mrs. Lovett flung the door open, "Mista T!" She stopped in her tracks, surprised to see the girl left alone with Mr. Todd.

_Dear God, has anyone ever heard of knocking?_

"Oh, this must be Johanna," Mrs. Lovett said absentmindedly, eager to talk to the barber in private.

"Yes, Mrs. Lovett. She was _supposed_ to be waiting downstairs with you." He replied through gritted teeth, not bothering to hide his annoyance.

"I know, dear… but, I've been dealing with another situation that I could really use some assistance with", she said cheerfully, trying not to sound as anxious as she really was. Mrs. Lovett flashed Johanna a genuine, yet understandably distracted smile, "We'll be right back, dear, just sit tight." She turned and started out the door, Mr. Todd following in her wake.

As soon as they were out of Johanna's sight, Mr. Todd grabbed Mrs. Lovett's arm roughly, "What is going on?"

She shook off his grip and whispered frantically, "Toby's onto us, Mista Todd, I didn't know what to do so I locked him down in the bakehouse. But if he escapes, he'll go to the law."

"Then he won't escape." Mr. Todd grumbled as the two continued to rush downstairs.

"There has to be another way", she pleaded with him. "Maybe if we just scare him, he'll keep quiet."

"There is no other way." He opened the door to the bakehouse and scanned the room.

"Can't have gone too far, come on." Mr. Todd put his hand on the small of Mrs. Lovett's back and led her down towards the sewers in search of the missing boy, their voices echoing eerily as they called out for him.

Beadle Bamford made his way towards what was known as "Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Emporium", cane in hand. His original plans were to visit the baker on official business in regards to the foul smell that came from her chimney. However, upon receiving correspondence from the barber that rented from the woman downstairs, the Judge asked his loyal Beadle to visit "Sweeney Todd's Tonsorial Parlor" as well and hopefully return with his ward.

After no one came to the door to greet him, he impatiently made his way towards the barbershop upstairs, where Johanna continued to wait anxiously.

It had already been at least fifteen minutes since Mr. Todd and his neighbor left her in the shop alone. If Anthony hadn't insisted that Mr. Todd was a true and trustworthy friend, the barber's gruffness could have easily convinced her otherwise. Johanna did not take his apparent disdain for her to heart, as his coldness was nothing in comparison to the horrors she endured during her time in Fogg's Asylum or growing up as Judge Turpin's ward.

Johanna's time in Fogg's asylum was short, but she was no stranger to being a prisoner. While she grew up with privilege, it was at a price. In exchange for a decent education, lavish dresses, and various other upper-class comforts, she was tormented by the Judge's perversions and strict rules all her life. She knew from a very young age that she had little to no privacy and absolutely no control over her life. No matter where she went in the home that she would eventually come to know as her cage, she knew she was being watched.

Judge Turpin always made it a point to make Johanna feel as though she owed him something for taking her in. He told her that her mother was just a common whore and didn't know who her real father was, and he out of the goodness of his heart gave her a home. Although he claimed to love her "as his own", the judge was never a father figure to her. He was always cruel and abrasive and treated her as though she was nothing more than a possession.

She moved further into the room, making her way over to the dressing table that held the barber's tonsorial supplies. Her eyes skimmed over the contents of the vanity, stopping at the framed portraits that featured a woman and a baby. She was admiring the photographs of the beautiful family when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. The shop was closed for the evening and the only people that would be out in this part of town so late at night were the ones you'd want to avoid. At first, she thought it to be either Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett, or, better yet, Anthony. Before she could even think, the door opened.

The Beadle entered the barbershop, expecting to be greeted by Mr. Todd, only to meet eyes with what appeared to be a young boy standing in front of the dressing table.

"Good evening, young lad. You must be the boy that helps Mrs. Lovett downstairs. Do you know where I might find her or Mr. Todd?" It was obvious that he had not looked at her too closely.

Nervous that her voice would give her away, she shook her head.

While the Beadle continued to survey the room, Johanna backed up against the dressing table and reached behind her.

"Do you know when they'll be back, at least? I have official business to discuss with them, you see…" He trailed off when he noticed a long strand of yellow hair fall from the boy's hat.

The Beadle eyed Johanna suspiciously. She tried her best not to appear nervous as she grasped the cold metal object behind her.

The Beadle took a few steps closer to Johanna, "Surely you know it's bad manners to wear your cap inside", he grabbed the hat off of Johanna's head, spilling long locks of yellow hair over her shoulders. Johanna winced.

"Ah, Judge Turpin said I'd find you here." The Beadle said with a grin, grabbing Johanna by the wrist, causing her to gasp. He grabbed her chin with his other hand, and brought his face close to hers, "You should be ashamed of yourself, girl, Judge Turpin has been absolutely heartbroken over you."

"Let me go, Mr. Bamford" Johanna said warningly, clutching the razor behind her back. When he failed to relent, she yelled, "I SAID LET ME GO!"

Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett were continuing on their search when they were interrupted by a yell coming from above. Already on high-alert, the barber motioned the baker to follow him. As the pair headed back towards the bakehouse, she glanced helplessly back down the sewers, finding Toby would have to wait.

Mr. Todd made it back to his shop first and stopped dead in his tracks at the scene before him. Mrs. Lovett appeared moments later and gasped, throwing her hand over her mouth.

The Beadle's eyes were wide and blood trickled from his mouth as he held his hand over the gaping wound on his throat. Johanna stared back at him in shock and dropped what was presumably the weapon onto the floor. The injured man stumbled to the ground, and Johanna could now see the couple standing in the doorway. She jumped.

"I had to, he was going to take me back…" She backed away from them, "You don't know what it was like there, please don't tell anyone. Please."

Their eyes were fixated on the sputtering man on the floor. "Mrs. Lovett, take Johanna downstairs. I'll deal with this."

Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett looked at one another and he gave her a nod, Mrs. Lovett then went over to Johanna. Johanna's eyes widened in fear, "What are you going to do? Please don't go to the law, I beg of you!"

Johanna was shaking, completely traumatized by what she had just done. Her first instinct was to run away, but Anthony would be coming back for her any minute. Not to mention, if she did run, she had no idea where she would go and the streets of London were not a place for a young girl to wander alone at night.

Mrs. Lovett put her arm around the very distraught young girl. "There, there, dear… Nobody is going to the law, just come along downstairs with me and we'll wait for your sailor to come back..."

As soon as the two left, Mr. Todd turned his attention to the bleeding man on the floor. "We meet again at last, Beadle Bamford."

* * *


	2. Not While I'm Around

Opheliac  
Chapter II  
“Not While I’m Around”

“Here, love.” Mrs. Lovett handed Johanna a cup of tea and poured a splash of gin in it before settling down in her chair. “I think we could all use a drink tonight, don’t you?”

Johanna sat on the settee in front of the fire, accepting the teacup with shaky hands. She hadn’t spoken since she brought her down here. Without lifting her eyes off the ground, Johanna spoke with a blank expression, “What’s going to happen to me?”

“Well, Mista T is taking care of our little blunder upstairs, so I suppose we’ll just wait down here for the sailor to come for you.”

Johanna looked at her apprehensively. “You’re really not going to go to the law?”

“No sense in that, wouldn’t be good for business. Can’t have people thinking we run a madhouse of our own here, can we?” Mrs. Lovett said lightheartedly, trying her best to not give the girl any insight into how she was really feeling.

“But won’t you or Mr. Todd get in trouble?”

“Don’t you worry about that now, we can handle our own.”

The older woman’s calm demeanor bewildered her. Johanna stared into the fire and the two sat in silence for a few minutes.

“I didn’t want to hurt him,” Johanna said suddenly, the flames reflecting in her eyes, “I had to.”

“I understand, dear… You were only protecting yourself.” Mrs. Lovett tried to assure her, surprised at how quickly the girl seemed to calm down.

Poor girl must be traumatized, Mrs. Lovett thought to herself, shaking off the uneasy feeling she got from seeing such a familiar vacant expression cast over Johanna’s young features. She glanced at the clock on the mantle, it had been an hour since she locked Toby down in the bakehouse.

Everything that transpired this evening made her realize that until tonight, she had been so caught up in the thrill of her and Mr. Todd’s unorthodox business venture to stop and think about the possibility of anyone catching on, let alone what they would do in the event that someone did. If they disposed of the beadle like all of their other victims, surely someone would notice if Judge Turpin’s very own henchman disappeared. Realizing she needed to communicate this to Mr. Todd sooner rather than later, Mrs. Lovett cleared her throat. 

“When did you say the sailor was coming back for you?” 

Johanna blinked, clearly unaware of how much time had gone by until now, and looked at Mrs. Lovett worriedly. “He should be back by now.”

Mrs. Lovett noticed the concern in her voice, and replied comfortingly, not wanting her to pick up on her own worry. “He’s probably just running behind, it being late and all.”

The minutes continued to pass by, and there was still no sign of Anthony’s return. 

Someone could come in search of the beadle anytime now... Almost thinking herself into a panic and growing increasingly impatient, Mrs. Lovett moved abruptly from her chair and into her bedroom.

She came back out with a pistol in her hand. Johanna looked at her in alarm.

“I want you to take this. I am going to go upstairs and check on Mista T, you wait here for the sailor. Do not open the door for anyone but him. Okay, love?”

Johanna nodded in reply as Mrs. Lovett hastily put the gun in her trembling hands.

\--

In the shop above, Mr. Todd was kneeling over the body of Beadle Bamford. He was covered in blood and appeared slightly dazed until the sound of knocking and Mrs. Lovett’s voice brought him out of it.

Knowing that Mrs. Lovett was the only one that would be knocking on the door separating his apartment from her own living quarters, he got up and quickly let her inside. “Has she gone?” He asked quietly.

“No, she’s still waiting downstairs. But, the beadle -” She was talking quickly, but he wasn’t listening, too caught up with the thought of his daughter alone downstairs as she’d been up here.

He interrupted her, springing back to life before her eyes.“You left her down there alone?” He raised his voice, almost growling at her, causing her to jump at his sudden change of tone.

“I had to come up here before you did anything more with him!” Mrs. Lovett gestured to the body on the ground. “Do ya really think I’d just leave her down there for no good reason? ‘Sides, I gave her me gun.”

He gawped at her, “since when do you have a gun?”

“Living alone as long as I did, ‘course I have a gun. It was Albert’s. Anyway - that’s beside the point. We can’t make the beadle disappear out of nowhere and expect no one to come looking for him. We can’t get rid of him like we did the others.”

He hadn’t thought that far. He loathed how much he depended on her at times, and resented how she seemed to always be the voice of reason.

“What are we to do then?” He asked, having managed to calm himself back down.

As he predicted, Mrs. Lovett did not disappoint having already thought of a backup plan. “Well… we could dump him somewhere, make it look like a simple muggin’, It’ll be a stretch considering the lovely gash in his throat but as long as we don’t leave anything tying it back to us, what can they do?”

Mr. Todd nodded.

Mrs. Lovett thought out loud, her gears turning, “now, how do you suppose we move him without anyone noticing?” She put a finger to her lips in deep thought, looking out the window. “The vegetable cart from across the street should be close to empty considering today was market day. We’ll put him in there, cover ‘im up and dump ‘im a few blocks over.”

Without looking at her, he replied, “What about the boy?”

“The sailor should be back any time, I don’t know what’s keeping him.”

“No, not him. The other one.” He was referring to Toby.

“No sense in looking for him now, The beadle was already here, wasn’t he?”

Mrs. Lovett went over to the body on the floor and sighed, putting her hands on her hips. “I suppose we can’t send him down the chute or he’ll be too much of a mess...” Her eyes widened as another thought came over her, the bakehouse. “I need to take care of everything in the bloody bakehouse before anyone else decides to come poking around tonight. But this can’t wait, we have to get rid of him before anyone notices he’s gone.” 

Before she could say anything else, Mr. Todd spoke up,“I’ll deal with the beadle. You go down in the bakehouse and burn everything.”

“I don’t know, Mista T, can you get him down the stairs by yourself?”

“I’ll manage.” He grumbled, rolling up his sleeves and looking down at the beadle with disgust.

“Wait”, Mrs. Lovett kneeled down and started rifling through the beadle’s pockets.

He shot her a look. “Really, Mrs. Lovett? I hardly think-”

“It’s supposed to be a muggin’, innit?” She remarked as she stuffed her findings in her apron.

She reached for his hand to help her up, “Mista T, be careful. Dump him over by that shotty pub on Farringdon.” She squeezed his hand and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. “Meet me in the bakehouse when you get back.”

With that, she took off down the stairs, leaving the barber to dispose of the beadle’s body.

Mr. Todd did exactly as Mrs. Lovett instructed and tossed the beadle’s heavy corpse in the empty vegetable cart he took from across the street. Of course of all the bodies he sent crashing down into the bakehouse, the beadle’s was the one he actually had to lug down the stairs. It took a great effort on his part, but managed to get him outside without anyone noticing as it was dark and Fleet street was practically deserted this time of night.

He covered him up with the fabric meant to cover the produce and casually pushed him along the deserted street. He was sure to move carefully and keep his head low, as to not draw any attention his way and managed finally to leave the beadle’s body in the alleyway behind the pub.

On his way back, he continued to walk stealthily down the street and was just about to turn down Fleet Street when the voices of two men coming towards him made him retreat into the shadows. He pressed himself against the wall, listening.

“There was a break-in at Fogg’s asylum tonight, can ya believe that?”

He heard the other man hiccup. “Ya don’t say?”

“Guess they’s lookin’ for the bloke who done it. Took one of the girl’s he did, and not just any girl… It was Judge Turpin’s girl… didn’t even know he had a daughter. Guess he’s got everyone at the docks keepin’ watch.”

“Sorry sonofabitch won’t be goin’ anywhere if the judge has anything to say about it.”

“Ya got that, he’s ruthless. No girl is worth the trouble, let alone facin’ the wrath of him...”

“Ain’t that the truth?” The two men chuckled amongst themselves and walked past the alleyway where Mr. Todd was hiding. He took in a sharp breath and gritted his teeth.

The letter. It never occurred to him that his plan to get the judge back in his clutches would fail so miserably. He assumed Toby had been the one to call on the beadle, but now he realized with a bitter anguish that of course the judge would send the beadle to do his bidding. But, it still did not explain why he showed up so early. After all, he told the judge that Anthony would not be coming with Johanna until long after they’d be gone… Unless Toby did manage to get to the beadle who was, unbeknownst to him, making his way there anyway?

Tonight had been a disaster and he partially blamed Mrs. Lovett for insisting on keeping the boy. He told her from the beginning that it wasn’t a good idea to have someone living and working so closely with them. In a sense he supposed he was partially to blame for letting her get her way, not caring how she got the job done as long as he could get his revenge in peace. Still, he couldn’t ignore the fact that the judge had no other way of knowing Anthony’s plans to run away with Johanna tonight if it hadn’t been for him. He should have known that the judge would stop at nothing to make sure the sailor didn’t get very far but he was too distracted by his own overwhelming thirst for revenge to give it much thought. Ever since Anthony ruined his first attempt at killing the judge, he promised himself he would never let another opportunity like that pass him by and it was all too obvious now that by acting in haste, he managed to get the judge further from his grasp.

He cursed at himself and hoped that Anthony managed to escape with Johanna safely, despite everyone being on the lookout for him. He supposed that people would be looking for him anyway, considering he did break Johanna out of Bedlam. The judge knowing that the sailor planned to run away with her couldn’t have changed that.... right?

\--

In the bakehouse, Mrs. Lovett had just finished burning every leftover limb, every scrap of clothing, and every piece of evidence she could find in the bakehouse. She was finishing up throwing the rest of the leftover body parts and clothes into the oven when she felt the presence of someone else in the room.

She reached up and wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked around, “Mista T? That you?”

Silence. Must be the rats… 

Suddenly, a figure stepped into the light emanating from the oven.

“Toby!” Mrs. Lovett gasped and went to rush over to him.

“Stay back!” He had one of her butcher knives in his hand and was back towards the wall.

Mrs. Lovett stopped and looked at him calmly, “Put that down, love.”

“What? So you can kill me? Just like you did them? I know what you and Mista Todd been doin'… It’s sick and wrong!”

She took another step towards him, “I don’t want to hurt you, Toby.”

He held the knife out in front of him, shaking.

“Let me explain.” She continued to move closer to him.

“Explain what? That you and Mista Todd are murderers? I was suspicious about him, ma’am, but you…” Tears welled in the boy’s eyes, “I wanted to protect you. I thought you was different than the rest… and you locked me in here only to fetch him. I heard you callin' for me, you was gonna kill me!”

“Toby, listen to me!”

“No, I won’t listen! You’re mad!” He moved to make a run for it, but she managed to grab him from behind and grab the knife out of his hands. She threw a hand over his mouth to stifle his cries.

“Keep it down, someone’ll hear you.”

He squirmed against her to no avail, Mrs. Lovett was much stronger than him and maintained her vice-like grip around him as they sunk to the cold stone floor.

She felt his tears drip onto the hand clasped firmly over his mouth, bringing her own to the surface.

“I never wanted to hurt, ya… Honest.” She whispered, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. The thought of strangling the boy while she had the chance flashed across her mind, but it instantly made her feel sick and she cried harder.

“Nothing’s gonna harm you, not while I’m around…” She rocked him in her arms as he continued to struggle.

“I never wanted to hurt ya, Toby… You’ve been like a son to me.” He stopped struggling against her grip, sensing the sincerity in her voice. 

“I only got Mista T to make sure you wouldn’t talk. I wasn’t going to let him hurt you.” She lied.

She felt him relax a little. “I’ll take my hand off of your mouth if you promise to keep quiet, alright?” The boy nodded and she loosened her hold on him. Toby drew in a shuddering breath.

“So you brought him down here to keep me quiet, is that it?” He asked.

Mrs. Lovett nodded and silence fell over them for a few moments as they continued to sit on the floor, Toby practically in her lap as she held onto him. As smart as he was for his age, he still couldn’t wrap his head around the situation. He wanted to believe her, and he liked to think that Mr. Todd made her do all of this as it was the only reason he came back. Still, he felt uneasy and completely untrusting.

“Is he making you do all this?” He asked.

Mrs. Lovett, who usually knew what to say, was speechless.

She let him sit up from her arms. He asked her pointedly, “Why’d you do it? You can tell me if he’s making you do this.”

“It were only bad people, Toby.”

He turned to face her, “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

Mrs. Lovett looked down in shame.

“I just don’t understand, ma’am. I really don’t.”

Neither do I, she thought honestly. She didn’t know how to explain her actions to herself, let alone to a child. She couldn’t tell him the true nature and reason behind their crimes and she knew that she had to give him some sort of explanation to put his mind somewhat at ease. 

“Toby, I don’t expect you to understand, just know that it were only bad people - criminals, and men that beat on poor innocent children like you.” She lied again, trying to soften the blow.

“So this was your answer? You ground ‘em up and put them into your pies!” He raised his voice again, positively flabbergasted.

She shushed him. “Desperate times call for desperate measures, I guess. ‘Sides, we won’t be doing it anymore.”

He furrowed his brow, still trying to understand everything. He supposed that made things a little bit better but not by much. “But doesn’t that make you just as bad as them?” 

He made a point, and it was a point she had not thought of until now. Mrs. Lovett got up from the floor and rifled through the pocket of her apron. “Look, if Mista T comes back and finds you here he’ll have your neck for sure. I don’t want that to happen. Please, take this.” She took out the Beadle’s purse and offered it to him.

“That’s it then? You’re just gonna bribe me and hope I don’t change my mind and run to the law?”

She was surprised at his response, the boy was a lot smarter than she had given him credit for and wondered why the beadle decided tonight of all nights to pay them a visit if he didn’t call for him. 

“You haven’t gone to the law?”

“No, ‘course not. I thought about it, was almost there when I decided not to. Figured maybe Mr. Todd made you do it and if it weren’t for you I’d be stuck in the workhouse or someplace worse... Promise me you’ll stop all this, ma’am. If anyone else finds out, they’ll hang you and Mr. Todd both. I don’t care what happens to him… But I still meant what I says earlier… About you, I mean.”

He looked into her eyes, and while lying usually came naturally to her, she found herself struggling with her answer. “I promise.”

Toby must have known that she was incapable of hurting him, otherwise, she would not have gone and fetched Mr. Todd to do the deed. Looking at him now she was glad that the barber didn’t get his hands on him and preferred it if he kept quiet and went their separate ways.

They continued to stare at each other, which in turn made Mrs. Lovett uncomfortable given her guilt, so she cleared her throat and put the purse in Toby’s hand, “That should be enough to get you someplace safe and some food in your belly. Get away from here, love. ”

He eyed her suspiciously, “How do you know I won’t change my mind?”

“I don’t,” she said honestly, guilt and regret bubbling inside her, “I just trust that you won’t.” This was especially true now that she knew he didn’t go in the first place, therefore making it very unlikely that he would in the future. She now knew more than ever that he had a soft spot for her and she had no choice but to take advantage of it. The boy wasn’t stupid and if he wanted to stay out of the workhouse and away from Mr. Todd, he would keep his mouth shut for both of their benefits.

“‘Spose this makes us even then... You save my life, I save yours?” He said thoughtfully, looking at her with bewilderment.

“That’s a way to think of it.” She smiled, putting her hand over his as he clutched the purse. In just a few hours, you’ve grown so much older...

She heard footsteps approaching the bakehouse door and suddenly appeared very worried. 

Toby looked between Mrs. Lovett and the door. “If he’s making you do this, you can tell me I -” 

She cut him off. “I’m fine, son. Go.” The mechanism of the metal door turned, and she and Toby looked at each other one last time before he turned and ran away towards the sewers.

Mr. Todd appeared from the doorway and made his way inside, glancing around the room in his stride. “What was that?”

“Just me, you know how it echoes down here ‘specially with the rats and all…” Mrs. Lovett said nervously as he continued to scan the room. 

He decided to let it go, figuring it wasn’t out of the ordinary for Mrs. Lovett to be talking to herself, and they had much more pressing matters at hand.

“Is that taken care of then?” She asked as she went over to him.

“It’s done.” He confirmed. “I am afraid that we have yet another issue on our hands, Mrs. Lovett.”


	3. Pressing Matters

Opheliac  
Chapter III  
“Pressing Matters”

Johanna waited anxiously in Mrs. Lovett’s parlor alone for what felt like an eternity. She sat on the floor in a corner clutching the gun to her chest and wondered desperately where Anthony was. What was taking him so long? Was he alright? What would she tell him when he did come back for her? Would he be able to even look at her the same? Tears stung in her eyes as she continued to think about him.

In all her life, Anthony was the first person to show her a care in the world, a care that went beyond his own gain. He risked his life for her, promised to take her away from here, and told her confidently that once they did all of the ghosts would disappear. She envied his naive optimism for she knew that no matter how far they ran, the ghosts would follow her forever - especially now.

She hoped that Anthony would understand that she only did it because she had to. If she had not fought back, he was going to take her back to Bedlam, or even worse, back to the judge. Could she even bear telling him? For she could have just threatened the beadle and screamed for someone to come to her aid, couldn’t she?

She thought about the way the beadle’s eyes stared back at her in shock after she plunged the razor into his throat. Of course, he never expected her to do such a thing, seeing her as nothing but a fragile child. She thought of all the years he stood by sinisterly as she remained locked away in her room and the menacing glint in his eye after the judge gave him the go-ahead to deal with her how he saw fit (“until now I have spared the rod”).

As the memory of the beadle groping her with his filthy hands as he threw her into the carriage that took her to Fogg’s Asylum played in her mind, she realized to her horror that she was feeling anything but remorse. The beadle always acted as Judge Turpin’s henchman and, in her eyes, he was no better than him.

Servants and associates of the judge always passed by idly as she wept and begged for him to let her out of her room as he rarely let her be in the company of anyone other than himself, the beadle, and various tutors and household staff. Ever since she got older, whenever a man gave her any sort of passing glance, she saw the way his face contorted with rage and ordered her to her room. She figured if anyone found out what she did to the beadle, they would either hang her or send her back to Bedlam, and she found both alternatives much more appealing than going back to the judge.

As time continued to pass, however, she was relieved to find that Mrs. Lovett had been true to her word, they did not go to the law. She wondered why the two strangers were so willing to help her cover up such a horrific crime. According to Anthony, he rescued Mr. Todd out at sea and as a result formed, what he described, as a friendship with him. Was the barber only helping her as a way to show Anthony his gratitude for saving his life? But considering how serious the beadle’s injury was, surely he had to watch him die? What about his neighbor, Mrs. Lovett? How was she mixed up in all this? From her understanding, Mr. Todd rented his shop from her, which would only make her his landlady, but something between them made her think otherwise. She thought back to when Mrs. Lovett told him she had “business matters” to discuss with him, what business matters could the two possibly have to discuss so urgently?

Johanna’s head was spinning with all of the questions that were circling her mind and settled on the thought that perhaps she just wasn’t used to people being kind to her unless they were obligated to or had some sort of ulterior motive.

\--

Meanwhile, before Sweeney Todd met Mrs. Lovett in the bakehouse…

Mr. Todd had just made it onto the threshold of the building owned by Mrs. Lovett and was about to make his way inside when a child’s voice made him stop in his tracks.

“Are you Mista Todd?”

A grubby looking boy that couldn’t be older than ten years old called from the top of the steps that lead to his shop. What was a child doing here at this hour? He certainly wasn’t old enough to be in need of a shave.

Mr. Todd answered back suspiciously, “Who wants to know?”

“I got a message for ya.” The boy trotted down the steps and handed a folded up piece of parchment out. Mr. Todd grabbed his wrist and without relinquishing his grasp, snatched the note out of the boy’s hand.

“Where did you get this?” He asked the boy as he opened the paper with his free hand.

The boy tried to wriggle free from his tight grip as the barber skimmed the contents of the note. It read:

I write to inform you that they are looking for me and I must leave London alone at once. Someone must have tipped them off and I fear for her safety if they catch me with her. I will return for her once it is safe. I beg of you, please watch over her. I will get back as soon as I can.

It was unsigned and obviously written in haste, but he knew it couldn’t be from anyone other than the sailor himself, Anthony Hope.

“Some bloke over by the docks paid me to bring it to you, said it was urgent. I didn’t get his name.”

Mr. Todd’s eyes narrowed as he pulled the boy closer to him by his wrist. “Does anyone else know you came here tonight?”

The boy looked up at him in alarm, “No, sir.”

“If I find out that anyone followed you here, you will be sorry.” Mr. Todd threatened.

“O’course sir, wouldn’t dream of it!” The boy choked out, quivering under the older man’s stare.

“Off with you.” Mr. Todd grumbled as he pushed the boy back out into the street. 

He pondered briefly if the boy happened to read the note, but settled on the fact that the odds of him actually knowing how to read were slim based on his homely appearance. Not to mention, well-off children didn’t typically prowl the streets so late at night let alone deliver messages to strangers. In all honesty, Sweeney Todd took no delight in threatening poor underprivileged children, but he felt he had no other choice and he figured scaring the boy was better than the alternative. He couldn’t risk it and was in no mood to get any more blood on his hands tonight, unless it belonged to a certain judge, of course. Besides, he had far more pressing matters to attend to now…

\--

Down in the bakehouse Mr. Todd said nothing as he handed Mrs. Lovett the note.

She read it quickly and glanced back up at him. “Well, that takes care of that then, doesn’t it?” Mrs. Lovett, not entirely grasping the weight of the situation, initially felt that the sailor not returning for Johanna right away was a blessing in disguise, thinking selfishly that she could finally have the proper family she always dreamed of.

She folded the note back up and handed it back to him. “Now, what is this ‘other issue’ you were talking about?”

He gave her a stern look and she stared back at him in disbelief. “Isn’t this what you wanted?”

Well, yes, it was. For fifteen years, he dreamed of one day returning home to his wife and child. However, those dreams were crushed the moment Mrs. Lovett delivered the devastating news of his family’s whereabouts. At first, he considered the possibility of establishing a relationship with his daughter, especially when Anthony first came to him about rescuing her from the judge. That sentiment was short-lived when he realized that he was not the man he once was and believed whole-heartedly that she would be better off never knowing him. He was a fool to think even for a second that Johanna could ever be more than a stranger to him. If his daughter knew of the horrors he endured while he was away and the unspeakable crimes he’d committed since his return, he was certain that she would be shocked beyond belief and would never be able to accept him for the monster he’d become. The monster that the judge turned him into…

He started pacing around the room and ran his fingers through his hair, “I was supposed to have the judge.” 

She rolled her eyes and scoffed at him, “The judge... Mista T now is not the time for you to go on about the judge! Ain’t ya glad to have your daughter back?”

He huffed at her. Tonight was a prime example as to why Johanna should stay as far away from him as possible. How Mrs. Lovett failed to see that the sailor not returning for her right away as anything but a terrible misfortune was beyond him.

She was annoyed yet considering his habit of viewing every situation in the worst light possible, his sudden shift in mood came as no surprise to her. In fact, she was shocked that he made it this far into the night without having an outburst.

“If this is about what happened with the beadle, it’ll be alright. She was only protectin’ herself, nothin’ we can do about it now.” She said calmly, trying to steer him away from his perpetual seething, realizing when it was too late that it only made matters worse.

He stopped pacing and shot over to her, “If it weren’t for your little brat, the beadle would have never found her up there!” In truth, he knew he had no way of knowing that for sure, but it was so much easier to place the blame on someone else.

“So he could find her there with you, instead? What were you going to do? Kill him in front of her?” She tried reasoning with him, things could have been worse after all.

He glared at her in disdain, resenting the fact that as much as he wanted someone to blame, the events of the evening had been out of their control. Sweeney Todd absolutely despised not having control, especially considering he was stripped of it for so long. Still, he couldn’t help himself. “She was supposed to be downstairs with you.”

She opened her mouth to reply when a sudden revelation washed over her... Thinking back on Anthony’s note, she wondered how anyone else knew to be on the lookout for him specifically. There was not enough time for anyone to know that he was the one that took Johanna from Fogg’s asylum and if anyone followed them, surely there would have been other law enforcement at their doorstep (and certainly not the beadle). Someone must have known in advance that he was planning on taking her tonight and as far as she knew, Anthony and Mr. Todd were the only ones other than herself that were aware of their arrangement. The sailor might have been a bit naive, but she doubted he would take such a risk, his note proving that he clearly knew not to act so carelessly. Plus, she was sure that Toby was honest about not going to the law. Therefore, she concluded that Mr. Todd must be responsible for the beadle’s unexpected visit. She knew how eager he was to get to the judge and it would be entirely in his character for him to jump at the next opportunity to have his throat.

“What was that errand you sent Toby on earlier?”

He averted his gaze.

“Mista T, ya didn’t!”

She could have sworn it was shame that made itself prevalent on his face before it melted quickly into bitterness. “It was supposed to be the judge.”

Suddenly becoming very aware of Mrs. Lovett’s eyes on him, he turned away from her, uncomfortable with the thought of her being able to somehow read his mind. He knew that as much as he wanted to blame Toby for the night’s mishaps, he was still partially responsible. He didn’t want her to have any inkling as to how much he despised himself at the moment and how he secretly blamed himself for putting Johanna in danger. As much as he tried to numb himself from feeling, he could not bring himself to not care for his daughter and as long as Johanna remained under the same roof as him, he was faced with unavoidable vulnerability.

She sighed and went over to him. “No sense in us bickering about this now, what’s done is done. All we can do now is try to clean up this mess and cover our arses. We’ll just have to lie low for a while, we can’t risk getting caught.”

“I have been lying low.” He said through gritted teeth.

His back still facing her, she placed a tentative hand on his shoulder. “I know love, but we haven’t any choice. As much as I know ya want the judge, it’s probably best the beadle came instead of him tonight... considering.”

He rolled his eyes, she was always trying to look on the bright side of things and it annoyed him immensely. “What about her?”

“Since you’re so keen on having the sailor come back for her, he’ll probably be back quicker than you think.” She rubbed his shoulder affectionately, relieved he managed to calm himself back down, only to have him shake her off. She should have known better than to press her luck. Still, she was not at all phased and opted to stand in front of him instead. If he wasn’t going to let her touch him, he could at least face her when they spoke.

Thankfully he decided not to scold her for the unwanted physical affection and continued, still managing to avoid eye contact with her, “and if he doesn’t?”

“Well we can’t just send her off on her own, can we?”

He thought for a moment. “Of course not.” 

“I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that, the sailor being so taken with her and all…” She trailed off. It dawned on her that they couldn’t risk Johanna finding out about their unorthodox business practices, especially considering what just happened with Toby. “We have to continue business as usual,” she tipped her head to the side, “well, not our usual way of going about it... we can’t just close up shop out of nowhere, that’ll certainly arouse suspicion.” 

Mrs. Lovett thought for a moment, “Depending on how long the sailor will be, we can’t just keep her cooped up in here, someone will be around looking for her, I’m sure… Unless... we were to hide her in plain sight.”

He was actively listening to her now, something he so rarely did. He had to hand it to her, she was pretty clever when it came down to it and it was one of the only reasons he put up with her incessant chatter.

She continued, “they’re used to seeing Toby help me around the shop by now… Seeing another young lad wouldn’t be much of a shock to them. The girl was locked away most of her life, the only people that would recognize her would never come to this part of town and certainly not the judge. Suppose we’ll have to do something about that beautiful head of hair of hers, get her some better clothes, make sure she keeps her head down and stays close.”

He was quiet as he mulled over her plan, everything she said was making sense and Mrs. Lovett had never given him any reason to doubt her. She had proved her loyalty and cleverness time and time again but, still, he couldn’t help but feel slightly apprehensive.

Although he was careful to mask any signs of worry that could have possibly been made evident, she still took notice and reassured him. “When the shop is open, I’ll keep her in my sight and make sure nobody pays her any mind.”

“And when she’s not in your sight?”

“She can sleep in my bedroom and we’ll keep the doors locked. If anyone comes poking around looking for her, I’ll be sure to hide her somewhere they’ll never think to look.” She smirked at him, evidently proud of her haphazard plan.

She already thought of everything. He only ever admitted it to her once, but she really was a bloody wonder. He made no effort to hide his amazement, finding her conniving way of thinking striking as much as it was brilliant.

Mrs. Lovett blushed, the astonished look that swept across his face said it all. “Why don’t you go upstairs and get yourself cleaned up, I’ll take care of the girl.” 

She smiled at him and he nodded before the two made their way back upstairs and parted ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with the note, as Victorian correspondence was very proper. I figured if Anthony knew he was being watched and had to write the note quickly it probably wouldn't be very formal. I hope it got the point across at least. Anyway, how are you liking this so far? I hope to hear from some of you. Thank you for reading. Happy New Year! Do you have any plans or resolutions for 2021?


	4. So Close, Yet So Far

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mrs. Lovett finds a hiding place for Johanna.

Opheliac  
Chapter IV  
“So Close, Yet So Far”

This could not be happening. This was just a dream and she would wake up any moment now on a ship sailing faraway with Anthony at her side...

“What?” Johanna looked up from reading Anthony’s note and stared at the older woman in disbelief. “He promised he’d come back for me...”

“And he will, as soon as he can.” Mrs. Lovett pointed at the words on the note, trying to keep Johanna as calm as possible, noticing the tears welling in the girl’s eyes. She had decided the best way to break the news to Johanna would be to let her read Anthony’s note herself.

Johanna started shoving her hair back into her hat and moved to get up from the settee. “I must go to him.” She said firmly.

Mrs. Lovett sighed, tired of handling the non-stop damage control, she was half tempted to just let the girl go. She did not know how much more she could take tonight, having dealt with disaster after disaster between Toby, Mr. Todd, the beadle, Anthony, and now Johanna.

Knowing that it was better for everyone involved that Johanna stay put, she grabbed onto the young girl’s arm and looked sincerely into her eyes. “It isn’t safe out there, dear. Anthony said he will be back and I believe he will be true to his word. The streets of London are no place for a girl like you, love, trust me.”

Johanna faltered for a moment, her lips trembling before she shook off the baker’s grip and replied matter-of-factly, “I can handle myself. I am not a child.”

The girl was a lot more headstrong than she anticipated. Still, she pressed on and followed Johanna as she made her way to the doorway. “And how do ya think your sailor would feel if he came back and ya weren’t here? For all ya know he could be here tomorrow.”

Johanna stopped in the middle of the parlor and considered the older woman’s words, after all, she made a point. Not only was it dangerous to wander the streets alone, especially at night, but Anthony could very well come back for her as early as tomorrow. After all, he proved his devotion to her when he risked his own life to free her from Fogg’s asylum so she knew in her heart that he would do everything in his power to come back for her. 

Johanna’s demeanor softened and she blinked the tears from her eyes. “He saved me… If anything happened to him I-” She swallowed the lump that made its way into her throat.

Mrs. Lovett put her arm around the girl’s shoulders and took the opportunity to bring Johanna back towards the fire. “I know, dear. All good things come to those who can wait, yeah?”

Tears continued to cascade down her cheeks as Mrs. Lovett sat her back down.“Ya have nothing to worry about, dearie. Mr. Todd and I have it all figured out. We just have to wait for the heat to die down and you’ll be off with your sailor in no time.”

“But what about Mr... the beadle?” Johanna couldn’t bring herself to say his name. “Is he?...”

“No sense fretting about that, like I said, it’s been taken care of.” Mrs. Lovett sat down next to Johanna and leaned back into the settee, muttering bitterly, “old git deserved it if ya ask me.”

Johanna said nothing, thinking it best not to ask too many questions, having concluded that the less she knew what became of the beadle, the better.

After the fire died down to its smoldering embers, Mrs. Lovett managed to talk Johanna into sleeping in her bed for the night, reassuring her that she would be right outside the door if anyone were to show up. She knew the young girl was undoubtedly exhausted and it was the safest place for her, as the only window inside the room was too small for even a child to squeeze through.

Finally, Mrs. Lovett collapsed into the very chair that she held Toby in just hours ago, though she felt as if it had been much longer. The night seemed endless, and she had a hard time believing that the boy was truly gone. Over the last few months, she had grown particularly fond of the young orphan. Having spent most of her life invisible, he quickly became one of the few people in her life to pay her any mind, and she let it all go to protect the same man Toby wanted to protect her from. If Mrs. Lovett hadn’t been so physically and emotionally drained, she would have wept for the only son she ever knew.

As her eyes grew heavy, her thoughts drifted back to the barber upstairs as they so often did. She wondered how far she would go to win his affections. What more did she have to do to get him to see her? If covering up his crimes wasn’t enough, surely taking care of his daughter would be? These thoughts continued until she finally succumbed to her exhaustion and fell swiftly to sleep.

\--

The next morning…

Thankfully Mrs. Lovett managed to sleep at least a few hours before waking up at the very crack of dawn. Due to her own internal clock, she was rarely able to sleep past six, and today was no exception.

She washed herself up and made her way into the kitchen to prepare some pies for the day. She knew her customers would be just as disappointed as she was when they discovered she went back to her old recipe. “Ah, well.” She muttered to herself, having a successful business was fun while it lasted.

While getting everything prepared to open shop later on, the baker managed to think of exactly where to put Johanna for the time being, or at least until they managed to ward off the judge and various other law officials guaranteed to investigate the last known whereabouts of Beadle Bamford and Johanna Barker.

Thanks to Mr. Todd’s letter, she knew that they couldn’t be too careful considering the fact that the judge knew that Anthony was planning on bringing Johanna here last night. Even if the beadle’s body was discovered beforehand, she knew it was only a matter of time before the judge himself came in search of his ward. If she played her cards right, she would convince them that the beadle did in fact come for the girl and that the two left not long after. She smirked as she rolled out some dough, deciding with confidence that she would put on a performance of a lifetime when informed of his unfortunate demise.

The morning fog drifted through the streets as the sun began to peek out from the clouds. She knew that it was now only a matter of time before the rest of Fleet Street emerged from their homes and littered the streets. Therefore it was time to get Johanna up and off into her hiding place, that way she would hopefully have enough time to check in with Mr. Todd and make sure their story coincided.

\--

After having some toast and a cup of tea, Johanna wordlessly followed Mrs. Lovett into a hallway just off her parlor and up a flight of stairs where a single door stood.

The door opened with a creak, revealing a dusty old apartment that had been left uninhabited for the last fifteen years. While the apartment had its own separate outside entrance on the balcony next to Mr. Todd’s shop, she opted to take her up through the entrance from the inside of her own home instead for obvious reasons. Mr. Todd turned down the use of the space when he moved in, and considering the rumors about it being haunted and the way they went about running their businesses, it remained vacant. 

The sun shined through some of the holes in the ceiling, giving the dust floating in the air an eerie glow as the two women stepped inside. Looking around the sordid space, it was no wonder why people assumed it was haunted. Aside from the rumors surrounding the former occupants, the small, two-bedroom apartment was in complete disrepair. The wallpaper was peeling, the floors were covered in dust and creaked with every step, and the only things inside were the remnants of her and Mr. Todd’s past lives. Old furniture covered up with sheets, a chest filled with the deceased Albert Lovett’s clothes, and various other long-forgotten belongings his widow decided to stow away up there.

“No one’s been up here in ages,” Mrs. Lovett said out loud, “such a waste it is…” She trailed off, glancing around at the nearly deserted room.

Johanna took in the grim surroundings and watched as Mrs. Lovett puttered about the room, making comments or telling a story about almost everything in sight (“My dear Albert got me this for one of our wedding anniversaries, as ya can see he had no taste, bless him").

Mrs. Lovett was proving to be one of the most interesting characters she had ever met, especially considering she spent the whole morning listening to her chatter almost aimlessly even without getting a response. She found it odd that she had known her for hardly a day and yet the baker talked to her as if she’d known her for years. She thought that perhaps the woman was just friendly and she simply wasn’t used to anyone being so forthcoming. But, still, she couldn’t ignore the prodding question that lingered in her mind. So, for the first time since they made their way upstairs, Johanna spoke, taking Mrs. Lovett by surprise. 

“Forgive me for asking, ma’am, but...Why are you helping me?”

Mrs. Lovett paused briefly while trying to think of an explanation that didn’t involve telling her that the brooding barber next door was her real father (whom she just so happened to be in love with). Despite taking a moment to respond, she managed to sound as though the answer was obvious, “your sailor saved Mr. Todd’s life, of course.”

“But, what does that have to do with you?” Johanna was surprised when the words uncharacteristically escaped her mouth, having been raised to be supremely polite and docile at all times. Then again, what she experienced in the last few days alone was enough to leave anyone at least slightly unhinged.

“Well, a friend of Mista T’s is a friend of mine.” Mrs. Lovett smiled at her and when the girl’s skepticism failed to fade, she continued, “Can’t just throw ya out into the streets, now can I?”

Johanna contemplated her explanation and before she could ask any more questions, Mrs. Lovett pointed to a spot on the far wall next to an old wardrobe where there appeared to be a slight indent in the paneling. 

“There’s a crawl space right there, blends right into the wallpaper.” She pushed aside the loose panel to reveal a small rectangular shaped hole in the wall. 

The baker gestured to the opening. “Go on, you’ll fit just fine. Nothing to be afraid of, love.”

Johanna stared at it nervously, the idea of being shut in a dark enclosed space brought back recent memories of Bedlam.

Mrs. Lovett put her hand on Johanna’s shoulder. “It’s just for a little while, someone’ll no doubt be coming ‘round at some point today looking for that blasted beadle and we can’t let them find ya here, now can we?”

Johanna bit her lip and crouched down to crawl inside the tiny space that was just big enough for her to fit in. It was probably just as wide as a typical broom cupboard, only half the height, and it was evidently used for storage as it was full of boxes and old clothes.

“I know it’s not the most comfortable, but it will have to do for today.” Mrs. Lovett remarked.

Johanna simply nodded in response, suddenly feeling very claustrophobic and anxious. Mrs. Lovett noticed the fear in the girl’s eyes and gave her a reassuring smile. “It’ll be alright, dear.” 

Johanna swallowed, she had no choice but to trust her and watched as she slid the wallpapered panel back over the hole in the wall, enclosing her in darkness. She then heard the baker swear under her breath as she struggled to push what she assumed was the heavy wardrobe in front of the crawl space. 

Mrs. Lovett let out an exasperated sigh and stepped back to admire her work, “that should do it.” Nobody would be able to find her there unless they could see through walls.

\--

Not long after securing Johanna in her hiding space, Mrs. Lovett made her way into Mr. Todd’s shop and brought him up to speed on where she ended up putting his daughter for the time being. The gruesome pair were now in the midst of an almost one-sided conversation, as the barber responded in mere grunts and scowls. 

Mrs. Lovett had her hands on her hips as Mr. Todd stared out the window with his back facing her.

She rolled her eyes, “Mista T, honestly, I might as well be talking to the wall.”

He was hardly listening and was under the impression that they already figured everything out. Someone was bound to come around at some point today looking for the beadle or Johanna and they would inform them that the beadle left with the girl last night and they have not seen or heard from them since. It was pretty straightforward, so why on earth was she still talking?

Almost as if on cue, Judge Turpin followed by two men in uniform came into his view outside. He cursed under his breath, as predicted, he did not come alone. His eyes widened and he spun around from the window to face Mrs. Lovett, “distract the others.”

Her mouth fell open and she huffed at him. “Oh, blazes, well that just proves it! Ya bloody well don’t listen. We just went over this, it’s not a good idea! Didn’t ya learn your lesson last night? You’re gonna get us all found out.” 

Her scolding and practicalities were of no use, his thirst for revenge was beyond reasoning. The barber stayed up all night waiting for the judge, even though he knew it was unlikely he would come alone, if at all. Now that he was just outside their door, he was not about to let him get away so easily. He just had to get him alone…

He glared at her and grit his teeth. “Distract. Them.”

Mrs. Lovett straightened in alarm, his menacing look alone was enough to tell her not to argue with him. She then took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for what was sure to be anything but a walk in the park, and made her way outside.

Mr. Todd kept the door slightly ajar after she left so he could hear their exchange outside. If Mrs. Lovett was as useful as she claimed to be, she would do as he instructed.

“Good morning, gentlemen.” Mrs. Lovett smiled cheerfully at the three men as she made her way down the stairs. “Little early for a pie, isn’t it? Unless you’re here to see Mr. Todd, of course.”

Judge Turpin bore his usual stern expression on his face as he approached the baker, the two constables following in his wake. The judge took a step forward, asserting himself. “Yes, we are. However, it is not his services we seek. We are here on both official business and on behalf of a personal matter between myself and Mr. Todd. Is he in?”

“Mr. Todd is right upstairs, feel free to go on up, sir.” Mrs. Lovett turned her attention to the men in uniform standing quietly beside the judge. May I interest you officers in a drink? Cup of tea, perhaps?”

Before either of them could reply, the judge threw his arm out in front of them, keeping them from following the baker into her shop. “Actually, madam, we have some business to discuss with you as well. Is there somewhere private we may speak?”

“With me?” Mrs. Lovett sounded surprised, “yes, of course, but wouldn’t you like to pop up and see Mr. Todd first, sir?”

“It can wait.” The judge moved past her and let himself into her shop, the two constables followed closely behind.

\--  
Meanwhile, Sweeney Todd stood seething in his doorway. What business could he possibly have with his landlady? Unless they already discovered the beadle and decided to question her about it? That would explain the constables…Surely they planned on questioning him as well, which meant that getting the judge alone was damn near impossible. 

Back downstairs, the judge did not bother hiding his disgust as he looked around Mrs. Lovett’s dingy shop, running his finger over a shelf and flicking off the dust. “Mr. Todd is your tenant, is he not?”

“Yes, sir.” Mrs. Lovett replied, finding it difficult to ignore the judge’s blatant rudeness. Pompous bastard…

The judge glanced over at the two constables and gave them a nod, prompting one of them to pull out a small notebook.

“Would you say you know him well, then?” The judge asked.

Mrs, Lovett looked at him confusedly, out of all the things the judge could question her about, he chose this? “Sir?”

“How would you describe your relationship with him?” The judge put his hands behind his back and walked slowly about her shop, trailing his eyes over every corner and surface of the room.

“He’s just my tenant, sir.” She said firmly.

“Surely, you’ve gotten to know him, working so close together.” 

“Well, being neighbors, naturally we exchange pleasantries now and then.” She replied.

He nodded. “Naturally.”

The constables were standing absentmindedly near the door and she wondered briefly why they weren’t the ones asking the questions. Then again, this was Judge Turpin they were dealing with, and he made it perfectly clear with his smug demeanor that he was the law. 

“I cannot seem to find many people that know much about him, which is very unusual, don’t you think?” 

So that’s why he found it necessary to bring the constables with him, not only did he want to intimidate them, but this was also his way of testing her loyalty and getting information on the elusive barber. 

“Well, no, considering he’s not from around here.” Mrs. Lovett said casually, not giving him any indication of her deceit.

“I see. I suppose that makes sense, then…” The judge continued to stare at her, she was difficult to read. “Does he reside up there as well?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Alone?”

“Yes, sir.”

Judge Turpin raised an eyebrow. “Interesting. You are a widow, are you not, Mrs. Lovett?”

“I am.”

“Better be careful with that, then, you wouldn’t want to give off the wrong impression.” It sounded almost accusatory, but she was sure he only said it just to rattle her. 

Before Mrs. Lovett could respond, the bell to her shop door rang and Mr. Todd appeared in the doorway. He had grown impatient with eavesdropping on their conversation and decided he had enough. “If it isn’t the great Judge Turpin.”

Everyone's attention shot over in the direction of the doorway. A fake smile was plastered across his face and his cordial attitude was so convincing, it was almost terrifying. “I thought I heard you, sir, and I wanted to pay my respects. Please, send my regards to Beadle Bamford as well. It was such a pleasure seeing him last night. Tell me, how is the girl?”

The judge was noticeably taken aback. “Pardon me?”

“Your ward… forgive me, sir, I can’t seem to remember her name.” Mr. Todd turned to Mrs. Lovett who immediately got the hint and jumped back into the conversation.

Mrs. Lovett tapped her chin, pretending to think of her name. “Johanna! Yes, lovely girl. She sat with me in me shop last night before Mr. Bamford came for her. Poor thing was completely shaken up, but she spoke nothing but good things about you, sir.” The lies rolled effortlessly off of her tongue.

The judge furrowed his brow. “She did?”

Mrs. Lovett nodded quickly. “Oh, yes. Had a nice little chat, we did.”

“I see.” The Judge said, completely surprised by this information. “I did not realize you were aware of our arrangement, Mrs. Lovett. You made it seem as though you and Mr. Todd were merely neighbors.”

“That we are, sir, but it is my neighborly duty to help those in need.” Mrs. Lovett replied.

One of the constables stepped forward, stroking his mustache. “This is certainly crucial to our investigation.”

“Investigation?” Mrs. Lovett whipped her head around to address the constables, only to have the judge interrupt them before they could say anything else. 

“Yes. You see, Beadle Bamford never returned with my ward last night. In fact, it is with regret that I inform you that he was found early this morning-” he paused and glanced between the two neighbors for their reactions, “dead.”

Mrs. Lovett gasped and Mr. Todd looked shocked by the news, the deceitful duo could make it on Her Majesty’s stage.

The other constable nodded. “Oh, it was a sight, cut here to here.” He gestured across his throat, causing the mustached man in uniform to elbow him and clear his throat, “You must understand then, that considering this is the last place Beadle Bamford was seen alive, we have no choice but to take a look around.”

Mrs. Lovett nodded in agreement. “Of course.”

Judge Turpin breezed past her and Mr. Todd, the constables trailing behind him. “And where does this lead to? If my memory serves me well, there is an apartment up there, correct?” He gestured to the hallway that led upstairs.

Mrs. Lovett saw Mr. Todd’s jaw tighten at the remark and answered, “yes, sir. No one’s lived there in ages, ya see.”

“Then you wouldn’t mind if we took a look around up there as well?” It was abundantly clear that the judge was still trying to test them.

Mrs. Lovett gestured her arm up the hall, welcoming the search. “Not at all, sir.”

While one of the constables made their way upstairs, the other made his way into the parlor and started exploring the connecting rooms. This left Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett standing uncomfortably with Judge Turpin at the bottom of the stairs. 

The judge turned suddenly to address the barber. “Mr. Todd, if you don’t mind, I’d like to speak with you- ” he paused to glance over at Mrs. Lovett, “alone.”

Mr. Todd's eyes flashed with excitement. “Of course, sir. How about we go up to my shop and discuss matters there?”

Much to his dismay, the judge did not budge. “This will do just fine. Mrs. Lovett, if you don’t mind.”

Mrs. Lovett shot the barber a knowing look and begrudgingly made her way into the parlor. If he could read her mind, Mr. Todd would know she was begging him not to risk it. It would be absolutely foolish of him to try anything given the circumstances, let alone with two officers of the law searching the house.

As predicted, Mr. Todd did not relent. “Are you sure, sir? We’d have more privacy and it would be an absolute honor for me to offer up my tonsorial services to you, free of charge.” 

“Charmed as I am by such a generous offer, I am sure you can understand that my appearance is the least of my worries.”

“Yes, sir, of course. I was just thinking that perhaps given the circumstances, you deserved a bit of pampering and relaxation.”

Mr. Todd was on the brink of sounding desperate, but luckily for him, the judge was distracted by watching one of the officers search the other room and failed to take notice.

It was practically torture standing there with the man he hated more than anything in the world without being able to rip him to shreds, and having experienced actual torture, he could honestly say he preferred it.

As soon as the judge watched the constable disappear into one of the rooms off the parlor, he turned to the barber, “If you hear anything from that impetuous sailor boy, I trust that you will inform me immediately.” 

“Of course, sir.”

“It is in your best interest to cooperate with me, Mr. Todd. I am not one to cross. I can have you and your little ‘neighbor’ sent to the gallows sooner than you can blink.” His voice was low and threatening, causing Mr. Todd’s eye to twitch in anguish.

“My loyalty lies with you, sir. I assure you.” He feigned submission by making his words sound as sincerely as he could, all while clenching his fists so tight his nails were digging into his palms. He was also biting the inside of his lip so hard, his mouth filled with the bitter taste of metal.

At this point, he would say whatever he needed to to get away from him because the longer he had to remain in the presence of this despicable, vile man, the longer he felt like he was going to explode and he desperately needed to keep a level head.

Mr. Todd managed to pass his contempt for the man off as fear, and the judge took his reaction as a successful attempt to intimidate him. Judge Turpin grinned in satisfaction, “glad we’re on the same page.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oh my goodness, this chapter was so difficult for me to write and it took SOOOO LONG. I spent hours and hours working on it. There was a lot I wanted to fit in here and I actually ended up cutting out the last scene (it will be in the next chapter). I found writing dialogue for multiple people at once especially tricky because I wanted to make sure you guys knew who was saying what without sounding too redundant. For those of you following this story, it was not my intention to keep you waiting! I so badly wanted to get this written so I could continue on with the story, we are starting to get close to the bits I’ve been planning since I first came up with this. 
> 
> Also, on an unrelated note, here are some of Helena Bonham Carter’s best underrated movies (in my opinion) you should seriously consider watching: “Burton and Taylor”, “55 Steps”, and “The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet”. I watched them all recently and was so surprised I have not heard much about them! Let me know what you think of them, or this. Thanks again for reading and I hope to get some feedback from you.


	5. Hiding in Plain Sight

Opheliac  
Chapter V  
“Hiding in Plain Sight”

Once Judge Turpin and the constables were satisfied with their search and barrage of questions, Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett watched as they finally made their departure.

As soon as they were out of sight, Mrs. Lovett gave a sigh of relief. “Well, that went a lot better than it could have. I must say, ya handled yourself very-” She was about to tell him how impressed she was with how well he managed to behave himself given the circumstances, but he was already making his way back upstairs with quick strides. She went against her initial instinct to follow after him and decided it was probably in her best interest to let him stew in peace.

The barber stormed up to his shop, slammed the door, and ran his fingers through his hair, ready to rip it out altogether. He was fuming. How many times would the judge slip through his fingers before he finally had him?!

Practically boiling with rage, he felt extremely overheated so he untied his cravat and discarded it onto the floor. He then undid the first few buttons of his shirt as he stomped over to the washbasin that sat on top of his vanity. He splashed some water on his face to try and calm himself down to no avail, for all he could think about was how badly he wanted to tear out Judge Turpin’s arrogant, domineering tongue. With a growl, he shoved all of the contents off of his vanity, sending water, glass, and various tonsorial supplies crashing to the floor.

He looked up and saw his own reflection in the mirror, his eyes were rimmed with red and the dark circles beneath them were more prominent than ever. Delirious with vehemence, he drew up a fist and smashed it into the mirror.

In the pie shop below, Mrs. Lovett jumped when she heard the sound of glass shattering upstairs, perhaps leaving the barber to his own devices had not been the greatest idea.

Mr. Todd was leaning with his back against the wall breathing heavily when Mrs. Lovett swung open his door, “that’s it! I know you’re angry but this is no way to behave!” She spoke in a sharp whisper, irritated that she already had to come up with an explanation for all the noise, and the last thing she needed was for Johanna to overhear them.

She crossed her arms and looked at the big mess scattered across the floor. Her eyes followed a small trail of blood and she gasped once she discovered its origins. “Mista T! What have ya done?” She went to reach for his hand and he instinctually jolted away from her.

“Easy, love.” She said reaching for his hand again, undeterred. “How do you expect me to take care of your-” she rolled her eyes when she saw him grimace at her and corrected herself, “alright, ‘the girl’ then, if you're carrying on throwing a tantrum and causing a ruckus?”

He continued to breathe heavily as she examined his wound, holding his hand as if it too were made of glass. Blood dripped from the varying cuts on his knuckles and she noticed small shards of glass sticking out of his skin. She clicked her tongue and shook her head disapprovingly, “Oh, Mista T...What am I gonna do with you?”

As usual, he did not have anything to say for himself, he just stared past her breathing an atmosphere of sorrow. She led him over to his chair and sat him down. She then kneeled in front of him and searched his face, she wished he would say something, anything to indicate he hadn’t gone completely mad. She had not seen him quite this upset since Anthony burst in on him and the judge, which felt like ages ago now. It threw him into such a rampage, she was almost certain that he lost part of his mind that day. Luckily she had been there to prevent him from causing any harm to himself, not that she ever thought he would until now. 

“Ya worry me when ya get like this.” She said quietly.

Without returning her gaze, he spoke in barely a whisper, “don’t.”

She blinked and looked down at the ground, if only it were that easy.

Mr. Todd reached down and attempted to pull one of the shards of glass sticking out of his hand out, causing him to swear under his breath and grit his teeth. Shaving his customers today was going to be undoubtedly uncomfortable, but at least the pain distracted him from the hollow, emptying feeling that lingered in the core of his being.

Still kneeling in front of him, Mrs. Lovett took his hand in hers yet again. “Here, let me.” Mr. Todd grunted in protest as she carefully plucked the shards out. “Can’t be doing this now,” she said softly, “we’ll get him, I promise.”

Once she finished cleaning and dressing his wound, Mr. Todd continued to sit motionless in his chair as she straightened his collar and went to button up his shirt, stopping when the tips of her fingers grazed his bare skin.

She gazed at the faraway look in his eyes with longing. She so badly wanted to kiss him and hold him tight. Would he even notice if she snuck a kiss? She contemplated for a moment if she dared to even try, unconsciously moving her lips closer to his. She closed her eyes as she felt their noses touch, he must really be somewhere else if he was letting her get this close…

“Better check on the girl.”

Her eyes snapped back open at the sound of his voice.

“Right.” She said quickly, suddenly remembering his daughter waiting in the other room.

She pulled away from him and straightened herself back up, fumbling with her apron as she made her way to the door, muttering. “...probably gave the poor girl a fright makin’ all this racket.”

\--

Not long after she heard muffled voices coming from downstairs and the sound of someone rummaging around the room, Johanna sat trembling in the darkness of the crawl space. What was that crash? Had things already gone awry? What if something happened to Mrs. Lovett and she was trapped there forever? Even if she wanted to flee, she couldn’t, knowing full well she was powerless and left at the mercy of whoever lurked beyond her hiding space.

About a half-hour later, she heard the baker’s voice call out to her, “it’s just me, dear. Everything’s alright. Get ya out in a jiffy.”

Mrs. Lovett went to push the wardrobe out of the way and grunted as its legs scraped against the wooden floor.

Johanna watched as a gloved hand came into view and slid the panel off to the side, flooding the crawl space with light. “I told ya it wouldn’t be long, granted I didn’t think anyone would come quite so fast.”

Johanna was grateful for this, considering she could have been stuck in there for much longer. However, she was still anxious to get out, eager to never be trapped alone in the dark with her thoughts again.

Mrs. Lovett extended her hand out to the young girl and helped her up.

“It was the judge, wasn’t it?” Johanna asked timidly, although she already knew the answer. It might have been muffled but she recognized that booming, condescending voice anywhere.

“Yes, and he didn’t come alone, of course. Brought two ruddy constables with him. It’s okay though, they’re gone now and I don’t think they’ll have any reason to come back anytime soon. Still, can’t be too careful...” Mrs. Lovett paused in thought, her eyes transfixed on the crawl space.

“But what about all that noise? Did something happen?”

“Mr. Todd just had himself a fall, clumsy thing he is.” Mrs. Lovett nonchalantly answered as she knelt down and went to pull a trunk from the crawl space, “think ya could give me a hand, dearie?”

Johanna couldn’t help but feel suspicious of her response, as she could have sworn she heard multiple bangs and crashes coming from nearby. Then again, her senses seemed magnified while she was in the crawl space and her thoughts did go to some unsettling places. She thought perhaps she was being paranoid again and decided to let it go, assisting the baker in dragging the heavy trunk out of the crawl space.

“I wonder…” Mrs. Lovett pondered to herself as she opened the trunk, filling the room with a stale, musty smell.

Johanna watched as she rifled through its contents and pulled out an old pair of trousers. Mrs. Lovett held them up in front of Johanna’s waist and grinned satisfactorily, “once I take them in a bit, they’ll do just fine.” 

The old clothing had once belonged to Benjamin Barker and much like his razors, she never had the heart to get rid of them. She grabbed a few more articles of clothing and turned to the girl, “let’s get ya washed up, yeah?”

Mrs. Lovett figured Johanna was in need of a proper bath, especially if she was going to “blend in” by helping her run the shop tonight. It was bad enough she had to go back to her old pie recipe, so she couldn’t have a filthy “boy” following her around tripping on their own baggy clothing on top of it. She had a respectable business to run, after all.

Mrs. Lovett led Johanna back downstairs and into a small room with no windows just off her kitchen. There was a washboard, a large tin tub, and clothes drying on a rack against the wall, a clear indication that this was where Mrs. Lovett washed herself and her laundry.

While the water was heating up, Mrs. Lovett had Johanna try on the clothes she got out for her and took this as an opportunity to go over their plan for the day, which was essentially to stay close, keep her eyes down, and avoid any and all conversations with the customers. Much like her father, Johanna was hesitant at first, however, the baker was known for being very convincing. After all, what better way to avoid the judge and his emissaries than to hide her in plain sight? Nobody would ever expect them to flaunt an escapee from Bedlam right in front of their noses, and Johanna certainly preferred it over staying hidden away in the dark crawl space.

\--

Bathing in Bedlam was humiliating and dehumanizing, and that’s if they were even given the opportunity to wash up, so Johanna appreciated the privacy of a nice, warm bath all to herself.

She stepped out of the tub and went to dry herself off, stopping when she caught sight of herself in the mirror. She hadn’t looked at her reflection since she left Judge Turpin’s house and she hardly recognized herself. While she had always been thin, she didn’t recall ever looking this skinny. She was flat-chested and her ribs were sticking out in an almost grotesque way. Given her current situation, she supposed her lack of womanly curves wasn’t necessarily a bad thing as it made her disguise all the more believable. She wondered what the sailor saw in her because she suddenly didn’t feel very desirable and yet, she was unbothered by it. In fact, the prospect of not being viewed in such a way made her feel safer.

Johanna was rummaging through the drawers of the vanity in search of a comb or hairbrush (though given the appearance of Mrs. Lovett’s hair she doubted she actually owned one) when an old straight razor caught her eye. It was nothing like the one she stabbed the beadle with, not even close. This one had a wooden handle and upon clicking it open and examining the blade, she discovered it wasn’t nearly as extravagant or sharp. She ran her finger along the edge of the blunt metal, it was dull, but it should still do the trick.

She could have asked Mrs. Lovett for help, or even for a pair of proper scissors, but she didn’t, deciding to succumb to the sudden, overwhelming need to do this herself. Johanna took a deep breath and looked in the mirror, preparing herself to make the first cut. She grabbed a fistful of hair and began slicing through it layer by layer, there was no turning back now.

It was almost cathartic, watching herself cut through layers of her long, yellow hair, feeling lighter as the golden tendrils fell to the floor. Upon making the final cut, a heavy weight was both literally and figuratively lifted from her shoulders.

There was a knock at the door followed by Mrs. Lovett’s voice, “How are ya makin’ out in there? I got your clothes ready.”

Johanna slipped the old button-up back on and wrapped it around herself before opening the door just wide enough for the older woman to pass the clothes to her.

Mrs. Lovett found the girl’s modesty amusing and chortled. “Oh, no need to be shy. Nothing I haven’t seen before.”

Johanna was just about to thank her and close the door when the expression on Mrs. Lovett’s face switched to one of surprise. “You’ve cut your hair.”

Johanna flushed, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. “I thought it wise, I, um…”

Mrs. Lovett interrupted the girl’s stammering and reassured her, “No, no, it is! Caught me off guard is all. I was actually going to make the suggestion but I wasn’t sure how to go about it. It looks great, dear.”

Johanna smiled weakly at her and the baker returned the gesture. “Now get dressed,” Mrs. Lovett said, “we have much to do.” 

\--

That evening, Mr. Todd made it a point to periodically watch over Johanna as she bustled clumsily around the courtyard with Mrs. Lovett. They had a steady flow of customers and the girl was obviously not used to working in such a fast-paced environment as she struggled to keep up with the baker, refilling mugs of ale and collecting dirty dishes. However, as his landlady predicted, Johanna’s lack of experience went unnoticed by her oblivious customers as they were too busy stuffing their faces and gossiping about Beadle Bamford’s murder. 

Occasionally, the barber caught sight of his daughter staring into the cages of the birds Mrs. Lovett had outside, noticing the somber look in her eyes which was so similar to his own. Johanna’s dainty features also reminded him quite painfully of his late wife, her mother. He continued to watch over her like a lion protecting his cub, ready to pounce on anyone that even looked her way until their very last customer left.

\--

It was now nearing midnight, and Mr. Todd tossed and turned on his cot, restless and riddled with nightmares. 

During his imprisonment, he became accustomed to hardly ever sleeping as his nights in Australia were filled with the desperate cries and unanswered prayers of his fellow inmates. They were crammed together in such close quarters regardless of their crimes, so even if you did manage to fall asleep, you had to do so with one eye open. 

He could still feel them everywhere, the shadows and whispers of men that suffered the same fate as him. They followed him across the ocean and all the way to London where he now spent every waking moment seeking retribution for a life and family he could hardly remember. He wondered if he would spend the rest of his life running ragged, drifting, but never to sleep. 

With a heavy sigh, he sat up from his cot and contemplated going downstairs and getting a drink. While he wasn’t a heavy drinker, he figured it was worth a shot because at this point he’d run straight into the wall and knock himself out if it meant he’d get a decent night’s rest. He was exhausted and his many years of sleep deprivation was certainly taking its toll.

Knowing that Mrs. Lovett locked up for the night, he made his way down the back stairs that led directly into his neighbor’s living quarters. He practically tiptoed down the hallway, not wanting to startle the women he assumed were asleep, and made his way to the liquor cabinet.

“Mr. Todd?” A young voice came from behind him. Shit. He grabbed the bottle of gin and turned to leave the room, hoping that she would think he just didn’t hear her.

“Sir?”

Goddammit. Without turning around to face her, he paused in the doorway. “Yes?”

“Thank you.”

Careful not to look at her, he turned his head just enough to let her know that he heard her and nodded before making his way back up the stairs.

So much for getting any sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! These take me so long to write! I put a lot of time and thought into these chapters so I hope it’s worth the wait for you guys. I am not completely satisfied with how this chapter turned out but I wanted to get on with the story. We are getting even closer to what I call the “juicy bits”.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading! Kudos and reviews would make my day, but no pressure.


End file.
